As Nora delved into the seventh episode of The Watcher, the good news seemed to pile up relentlessly. Her initial showcase had garnered immense success, and half of her next exhibition had already been sold out. Invitations from prestigious venues in Geneva and Miami Basel awaited her, promising further glory.
However, Dean's situation was far from rosy. He remained entrenched in the house, his mind clouded by the mystery that had ensnared them. Nora's explanation that they stayed for the kids rang hollow, as the truth was far more sinister. Dean was still consumed by the obsession with the house and the phantom "John Johnson." He had even hired a sketch artist to create a composite image, delusional talk of a "growing sickness" within the walls that he had vainly tried to purge from their lives.
Nora struggled to ground him in reality, arguing that the violence was random, not targeted. But Theodora's call brought news of her own travails—she had been removed from her trial, and the cancer had metastasized throughout her body. While Dean went to fetch Theodora's necessities, Nora voiced her concern over Dean's obsession with her.
The following morning, Nora read a shocking headline in the papers—the previous owners of 657 Boulevard were targeting their former neighbors with menacing letters. Dean reluctantly confessed to being the perpetrator, much to Nora's dismay. She warned him that he was destroying their family by refusing to let go of this obsession. She threatened to end their marriage if he didn't accompany her to apologize to the neighbors.
A call from Theodora summoned Dean to the hospital. Nora was out with friends, leaving the two alone. Theodora confessed that she was, in fact, the watcher—the previous owner of the house. After her husband's death, she had saved enough money to purchase it, falling in love with it instantly. But then, a diagnosis of cancer struck, and the treatment drained her savings. Theodora had wanted to fight, but an oncologist in Mexico had left her penniless. She had reluctantly sold the house, only to discover later that her husband had hidden half a million in royalties. Now, she had inherited it.
Theodora told Dean that she felt as if someone had played a prank on her. That's why she had concocted a plan to regain the house by convincing its new owners to sell due to the threatening letters. She confessed that Graff was a fiction, a device to strengthen her narrative. She had even hired an artist to impersonate the girl in the video with Dean asleep.
Theodora revealed that Andrew had indeed lived in the house but was a drug addict and easily influenced. She had used photographs to convince him of details about Mo and Mitch that had never actually occurred. Nora was enraged when she heard this revelation. The couple faced a moment of reckoning.
The next morning, Dean drove to Mo's house to apologize. Unfortunately, Mitch had passed away due to an embolism. When Mo inquired about the culprit, Dean mentioned Theodora. Mo then dropped a bombshell—she had never had a black neighbor. No one fitting that description had ever lived at 657 Boulevard.
At Theodora's wake, the Brannocks finally learned the truth. It was Nora's heartfelt confession that had prompted Theodora's plan to relieve Dean of his obsession by lying to him. Theodora had never been the watcher.
A fleeting glimpse into the past reveals that an LLC had indeed acquired the property, confirming Karen and Darren's cunning scheme was a triumph. In the present moment, the Preservation Society reunites, its ranks having swelled with new members. Is this a genuine gathering, or merely a figment of Murphy's imagination, a reflection of what Dean's mind might have conjured? Roger and Mo are among the attendees, perhaps fulfilling the conversation we witnessed between them in episode 6. John's formal name, "William Webster," echoes with a certain grandeur, almost reminiscent of John Johnson, adding another layer of intrigue to suggest that perhaps this meeting was merely a fantasy. Who can say for sure? Roger inquisitively probes Bill about his family, his smile masking a sinister undertone, while ominous music plays in the background. Did the legend of John Graff hold true? The truth remains elusive.
The conversation turns to the Brannock house's kitchen countertop, and Roger hesitates to intrude, yet Pearl and John support their claims. Karen, who has now purchased and moved into the house, encounters Nora, her tone once again accusatory. Karen retorts with fiery words, claiming that the Brannocks were foolish to be frightened by mere letters. She insists she merely seized a lucrative business opportunity, and her sincerity is evident as she was the one who urged Nora to stay in episode 2. Sensing Nora's vulnerability, Karen pounces on the opportunity, exhibiting her trademark prowess in business. As Nora departs, she vows to keep a watchful eye on Karen. Mo and Pearl offer Karen sweets in greeting, but she dismisses them with a wave. Soon, Karen begins to experience the same phenomena that plagued the Brannocks. Unexplained phone calls are hung up abruptly, and taps in the bathtub mysteriously turn on, flooding the living room down the stairs. Chamberland refuses to lend a helping hand, and Karen flees the house that night, horrified after her dog is brutally murdered and a figure stands menacingly on the staircase, brandishing a knife.
In the future, Dean seeks therapy, sharing his thoughts on his children and Nora, who are all thriving. Though he claims to have moved on, he cannot shake the compulsion to relive the past. He concedes to the therapist that vengeance still fuels his heart. Perhaps this tale does not have a happy ending. A new family has moved into the house, seemingly content and blissful from an outsider's perspective as they settle into their new home. The familiar antics involving Jasper, Pearl, William, and Mo unfold once again, mirroring the chaos that once engulfed the Brannocks. Dean stands outside, observing from afar. Ben, the homeowner, greets him, and Dean introduces himself as John Graff, fabricating a story about residing in Westfield. He plants a letter in the mailbox, positioning himself as a watcher. Nora summons him into her car, and he fabricates a tale of being caught in traffic. She praises his apparent change in behavior, unaware of his unwavering obsession with the house. As he drives around the neighborhood towards his own abode, another vehicle pulls up, signaling that it has been trailing him. It is Nora, her expression inscrutable, yet she knows exactly what is afoot.
